Prostrations to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagav�n was dwelling at the place of the n�ga king S�gara together with a great assembly of 1,250 bhikṣus as well as a multitude of bodhisattvas and mah�sattvas. At that time the Bhagav�n said to the n�ga king S�gara:
“Lord of the nÄ�gas, if one utters these four aphorisms of the Dharma, in uttering them one is expressing all 84,000 articles of the Dharma. What are the four? They are as follows:
“To fully engage in understanding the inexhaustible doctrine of the bodhisattvas and mahÄ�sattvas that all compounded phenomena are impermanent;
to fully engage in understanding the inexhaustible doctrine of the bodhisattvas and mah�sattvas that all contaminated phenomena are suffering;
to fully engage in understanding the inexhaustible doctrine of the bodhisattvas and mah�sattvas that all phenomena are without self;
to fully engage in understanding the inexhaustible doctrine of the bodhisattvas and mah�sattvas that nirv�ṇa is peace.
“Lord of the nÄ�gas, if one utters these four aphorisms of the Dharma, in uttering them one is expressing all 84,000 articles of the Dharma.”
When the Bhagav�n had spoken in this way, the bhikṣus and bodhisattvas rejoiced and greatly praised the teachings of the Bhagav�n.
This completes the Noble MahÄ�yÄ�na SÅ«tra “The Questions of the NÄ�ga King SÄ�gara”
Translated and finalized by the Indian abbot Surendrabodhi and the senior revisor-translator, the monk Yeshé Dé..
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Source of text:
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http://read.84000.co/#ReadingRoom/UT22084-058-002/-2
The Noble Mah�y�na Sūtra
The Questions of an Old Lady
[F.310.b] Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Thus did I hear at one time. When the Bhagav�n was travelling in the land of Vṛji,1 he went to the great city of Vaiśalī, together with a large saṅgha of one thousand two hundred and fifty bhikṣus and a vast number of bodhisattva mah�sattvas. At that time, he came across an old woman from the city gathering grass in the countryside. She was decrepit and had reached the end of her life-span, being one hundred and twenty years old.
The woman saw the BhagavÄ�n coming from afar—handsome, inspiring, with senses tamed, mind tamed, endowed with supreme discipline and serenity, guarded, faultless, senses controlled, pure and clear like the sea, unclouded, rising up like a golden stÅ«pa, radiant with splendor clear and distinct, wonderfully adorned with the thirty-two signs of a great being. When she saw him, faith grew in her mind. Then, full of devotion, she approached [F.311.a] the BhagavÄ�n, bowed her head at his feet, circumambulated the BhagavÄ�n three times, and sat to one side. The woman, bowing with folded hands in the direction of the BhagavÄ�n, asked him thus:
“O BhagavÄ�n, where does birth come from? Where does ageing come from? Where do they go? O BhagavÄ�n, where does sickness come from? Where does death come from? Where do they go? O BhagavÄ�n, where does form come from? Where do sensation, notions, formative factors and consciousness come from? Where do they go? O BhagavÄ�n, where does the earth element come from? Where do the water element, the fire element, the wind element, the space element and the element of consciousness come from? Where do they go? O BhagavÄ�n, where does the eye come from? Where do the ear, the nose, the tongue, the body and the mind come from? Where do they go?”
The BhagavÄ�n said, “Sister, birth does not come from anywhere. Ageing does not come from anywhere. They do not go anywhere. Sister, sickness does not come from anywhere. Death does not come from anywhere. They do not go anywhere. Sister, form does not come from anywhere. Sensation, notions, formative factors and consciousness do not come from anywhere. They do not go anywhere. Sister, the earth element does not come from anywhere. The water element, the fire element, the wind element, the space element and the element of consciousness do not come from anywhere. They do not go anywhere. Sister, the eye does not come from anywhere. The ear, the nose, the tongue, the body and the mind do not come from anywhere. They do not go anywhere.
“Sister, it is as follows: for example, a fire arises based on a stick to rub with, a stick to rub on, and also a person’s effort to generate it. That fire, moreover, after it has burnt the grass and wood, will have no more causes and will die. Sister, where do you think the fire comes from and where does it go?”
She answered, “O BhagavÄ�n, that fire comes into being owing to the power of a collection of causes. It ceases and dies when it lacks the collection of causes.”
The BhagavÄ�n said, “Sister, likewise, all phenomena [F.311.b] come into being owing to the power of a collection. They cease and die when they lack the collection. Whatever the phenomena, they do not come from anywhere, nor do they go anywhere. Sister, it is thus: Although the eye consciousness arises based upon the eye and form, the eye consciousness does not have a producer, nor anything that makes it cease. Nowhere is it brought together at all. The aggregates do not come from anywhere, nor do they go anywhere. When one has accumulated karma through the conditions of the consciousnesses, the fruits manifest as the three types of results2 in the three realms.3 That fruit is empty too. It has no coming. It has no going. No one makes it arise. It is not stopped by anybody. Sister, all phenomena have stopped due to their very natures.
“Likewise, although the mental consciousness4 arises based upon the ear and sound, the nose and smell, the tongue and taste, the body and touch, and the mind and phenomena, the mental consciousness does not have a producer nor has it anything that makes it cease. Nowhere is it brought together at all.5 The aggregates do not come from anywhere, nor do they go anywhere either. When one has accumulated karma through the condition of mental consciousness, the fruits manifest as the three types of results in the three realms. That fruit is empty too. It has no coming. It has no going. No one makes it arise. It is not stopped by anybody. Sister, all phenomena have stopped due to their very natures.
“Sister, it is as follows: for example, the sound of a drum arises based on wood, hide and a stick, and also on a person’s effort to make it arise. The past sound of that drum was empty, the future sound will be empty and the sound that arises at present is empty. The sound does not dwell in the wood, neither does it dwell in the hide, nor does it dwell in the stick, nor does it dwell in the person’s hand. However, because of these conditions, it is termed ‘sound.’ That which is termed ‘sound’ is also empty. It has no coming. It has no going. No one makes it arise. It is not stopped by anybody. Sister, all phenomena have stopped due to their very natures.
“Sister, all phenomena, in the same way, depend solely on conditions. It is so for ignorance, craving, karma and consciousness; when these phenomena are present, the terms ‘death’ and ‘birth’ are applied, but [F.312.a] what is designated ‘death’ and what is designated ‘birth’ are also empty. They have no coming. They have no going. No one makes them arise. They are not stopped by anybody. Sister, all phenomena have stopped due to their very natures.
“Sister, in this way, one who understands the nature of a drum’s sound also understands emptiness. One who understands emptiness, understands nirvÄ�ṇa. One who understands nirvÄ�ṇa, though he designates conventional things with all sorts of terms, has no attachment to any entity. ‘This is mine,’ ‘that is me,’ ‘sentient being,’ or ‘life force,’ ‘living being,’ ‘man,’ ‘person,’ ‘born of Manu,’ ‘son of Manu,’6 ‘agent,’ ‘inciter of action,’ ‘appropriator,’ or ‘discarder’—he teaches Dharma without attachment to these. He teaches Dharma well. He teaches the final reality. He teaches the final reality well.
“Sister, it is as follows: an artist, or an artist’s apprentice, spreads various paints on a canvas that has been thoroughly cleaned, or on a flat piece of wood, or on the surface of a wall that has been wiped clean. He paints with ease whatever bodily shape he might wish, such as the features of a man’s physical form, the features of a woman’s physical form, the features of an elephant’s physical form, the features of a horse’s physical form, or the features of a donkey’s physical form, complete with all their limbs, appendages, and sense organs. However well it is executed, no phenomenon at all is transferred in such a case from the artist’s hand or mind to the physical form. However, we designate this a ‘form’ because of those conditions. That which is designated a ‘form’ is also empty. It has no coming. It has no going. No one makes it arise. It is not stopped by anybody. Sister, all phenomena have stopped due to their very natures.
“Sister, it is likewise when there are meritorious formative factors.7 That is to say, although meritorious bodies will result amongst gods and humans, in that case not even an atom is transferred from this world to the world beyond. However, due to the formative factors [F.312.b], there are various kinds of rebirths. They are understood to be physical bodies with bases for cognition.8
“It is likewise when there are demeritorious formative factors. That is to say, although bodies that are not meritorious result amongst hell beings, or in the animal state, or in the world of the Lord of Death, or among the demigods,9 not even an atom is transferred in such a case from this world to the world beyond. However, due to the formative factors there are various kinds of rebirths. They are understood to be physical forms with bases for cognition.
“Sister, it is as follows: for example, a vast gathering of clouds arises because of the nÄ�ga-power of the nÄ�gas,10 and when those huge nets of clouds cover the earth, they let fall a heavy deluge of rain. After the heavy deluge of rain has fallen, the hills and the valleys are quenched. When the hills and valleys are quenched, the rain later subsides. But these things do not originate from the nÄ�gas’ bodies or minds. The nÄ�gas produce the vast gathering of clouds, rather, by virtue of the nÄ�ga-powers of nÄ�gas alone.
“Sister, it is likewise when there are meritorious formative factors, that is to say, when meritorious bodies result amongst gods or humans. It is likewise, too, when there are demeritorious formative factors. That is to say, although bodies that are not meritorious result amongst hells beings or in the animal state or the world of the Lord of Death or among the demigods, in such cases the activity of the formative factor is empty, the agent of the formative factor is empty and the fruits of the formative factor are also empty. Sister, when there are formative factors for remaining static, consciousness will reincarnate amongst the beings of the formless realms. That on account of which the consciousness reincarnates amongst beings of the formless realms is empty, and the consciousness which reincarnates amongst the beings of the formless realms is empty too. Why is this so? Sister, it is because all phenomena are empty of essence. Even so phenomena are designated. The learned are not attached to them. As they have no attachment they do not dispute. Having no disputes is the supreme quality of the religious mendicant.”
The woman said, [F.313.a] “Since the BhagavÄ�n has taught the profound Dharma in this way, O BhagavÄ�n, I, too, have penetrated these teachings with the eye of wisdom and will never be of two minds about them again. I have no doubts. O BhagavÄ�n, earlier, as I hadn’t yet heard these teachings I did have doubts. Now I am old, I am decrepit, I suffer, I am poor, I have no protector, I have no life, and yet I do not die. O BhagavÄ�n, after hearing these teachings I realize that there is no ageing, no poverty, no happiness, no sickness, nor is anyone ever ill, wealthy, or poor at all. I am freed from the notion of a self.”
Then the Venerable Ä€nanda inquired of the BhagavÄ�n, “BhagavÄ�n, why have you taught such a profound Dharma discourse as this? I wonder whether it is because this woman, who has investigated so well in this way, is meritorious, learned and naturally wise.”
The BhagavÄ�n replied, “Ä€nanda, so it is. Ä€nanda, it is indeed just as you say. This woman is meritorious,
learned and naturally wise. Ä€nanda, this woman was my mother for five hundred lifetimes. Ä€nanda, in each of those lifetimes I also generated the roots of virtue so that she could attain unsurpassable and perfectly complete enlightenment. Ä€nanda, I cherished, revered and respected this woman greatly. She also thought, ‘I will engage in whatever conduct my son engages in and attain the unsurpassable and perfectly complete enlightenment of the vehicle of happiness.”
Ä€nanda inquired, “BhagavÄ�n, why is she poor in this way?”
The BhagavÄ�n answered, “Ä€nanda, when I took up the conduct of a bodhisattva, I became a renunciate in the doctrine of the bhagavÄ�n, the tathÄ�gata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha Krakucchanda.11 At that time, Ä€nanda, this woman was my mother. Because of her attachment she did not want to let me go, so I stopped eating my one meal per day. Later, she agreed to let me go. Ä€nanda, because of the ripening [F.313.b] of that karma she is as poor as she is. Ä€nanda, this is the last time she will be poor. Ä€nanda, after death, this woman, who no longer craves a woman’s faculties, will obtain a man’s faculties in the SukhÄ�vatÄ« buddha field of the bhagavÄ�n, the perfectly complete buddha AmitÄ�bha. Once born there, she will make offerings to an innumerable, immeasurable, inconceivable number of buddhas; guide an innumerable, immeasurable, inconceivable number of sentient beings to enlightenment; make an innumerable, immeasurable, inconceivable number of sentient beings ripe for enlightenment; bring an innumerable, immeasurable, inconceivable number of sentient beings to enlightenment, and having brought an innumerable, immeasurable, inconceivable number of sentient beings to enlightenment, in sixty-eight hundred thousand kalpas she will become the tathÄ�gata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha named Bodhyaá¹…gapuá¹£pakara,12 in the ‘three thousand great thousand world systems.’13 Ä€nanda, the wealth and enjoyments of sentient beings of this buddha field will be like those of the gods of the Thirty-Three.”14 The BhagavÄ�n spoke thus.
The Sugata having spoken thus, he, the Teacher, also uttered the following:
“Ä€nanda, behold this old lady,
Before me with palms joined,
Who will become a buddha, excellent among humans,
Named Bodhyaá¹…gapuá¹£pakara.
She, giving up a woman’s form,
Will go to the realm of Sukh�vatī.
Venerate the victor Amit�yus,
And become a peerless buddha, conqueror of the three realms.
Again venerating the guides dwelling in other realms,
The great sages15 who benefit those realms,
She will become a peerless buddha, excellent among humans.
Having also heard the Dharma from them all,
With a purified mind, she will become accomplished in the same fashion. [F.314.a]
Remaining in the immovable, supreme mind of enlightenment,
She will cause countless sentient beings to practice the Dharma.
At that time there will be no inferior beings,
No beings with various bad bodies or bad color,
None dull, lame, and likewise none blind,
And no lepers with stumps for arms.
At that time the radiance of the sun, the moon,Fire, lightning and gems will not appear,
For the power of the light of the guide Bodhyaá¹…gapuá¹£pakara
Will illuminate and spread everywhere.
At that time that exceptional buddha field
Will be filled with types of beings
Who have the same, height, breadth, signs and color
Of the supreme gods of the Thirty-Three.
There will be no women belonging to MÄ�ra’s faction.
No female m�ras, no retinue of M�ra .
When the Tath�gata teaches the Dharma there,
Not even the word tīrthika will be known.
When the Tath�gata teaches the Dharma there,
Not even the words ‘lower realms,’
‘Preta,’ ‘animal birth,’ ‘beings of hell,’
Not even the word ‘woman’ will be heard.
At that time, there will be no classifications of vehicles,
Like the vehicles of the śr�vakas and the pratyekabuddhas in this world.
All will be endowed with a complete mind of enlightenment,
Dwell in loving-kindness and be compassionate.
In this buddha field, as all beings
Are always born miraculously,
They will be completely freed from birth in the womb,
Will remember past lives,
Be supremely intelligent and learned,
And able to grasp upon hearing what is well taught.
The configuration of that realm and its qualities,
Though we might have spoken of it for eons here,
Could not be expressed even as a mere illustration,
Like a drop of water from an ocean.
The Bhagav�n having said this, the venerable Ānanda and the old lady, those bodhisattvas and those monks, and the world with its gods, humans, demigods and gandharvas16 rejoiced. They highly praised what had been proclaimed by the Bhagav�n.
This completes the Noble MahÄ�yÄ�na SÅ«tra “The Questions of an Old Lady.”